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Rick Santorum
Richard John Santorum is a former Senator and Representative from the state of Pennsylvania. A strong fiscal and social conservative, Santorum recently ran for the 2012 GOP nomination, and ended up dropping out of the race. Personality Throughout the 2012 race, but particularly in the state of Iowa, Rick has proven his determination. He was the first candidate to visit all 99 counties of the state and was leading an impressive, hard-working campaign. History Rick Santorum is the son of Aldo Santorum and his wife Catherine Santorum, born in Winchester, Virginia. His family later moved Butler County, Pennsylvania and Rick enrolled in the Butler Area public elemantary schools, but attended a private Catholic high school in Illinois by the Naval Station Great Lakes. Santorum earned a B.A. with honors in political science from Pennsylvania State University in 1980, an M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh in 1981, and a J.D. with honors from the Dickinson School of Law in 1986. He was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar, and practiced law for four years at the Pittsburgh law firm Kirkpatrick & Lockhart, now known as K&L Gates. He represented the World Wrestling Federation while with K&L, arguing that professional wrestling should be exempt from federal anabolic steroid regulations because it was entertainment, not an actual sport. Santorum of Pennsylvania was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1990 at the age of 32, and from 1995 to 2007, served in the US Senate. In 2000, he was elected by his peers to the position of Senate Republican Conference Chairman. Senator Santorum became one of the most successful government reformers in our history, taking on Washington's powerful special interests from the moment he arrived in our nation's Capitol. Along with John Boehner and Jim Nussle, Senator Santorum was a member of the famous "Gang of Seven" that exposed the Congressional Banking and Congressional Post Office scandals. It was this record of reform that prompted a Washington Post reporter to write in a recent article that "Santorum was a tea party kind of guy before there was a tea party." He was also an author and floor manager of the landmark Welfare Reform Act which passed in 1996 that has empowered millions of Americans to leave the welfare rolls and enter the workforce. Senator Santorum wrote and championed legislation that outlawed the heinous procedure known as Partial Birth Abortion as well as the "Born Alive Infants Protection Act," the "Unborn Victims of Violence Act," and the "Combating Autism Act" because he believes each and every individual has value and the most vulnerable in our society need to be protected. Senator Santorum fought to maintain fiscal sanity in Washington before it was in fashion, fighting for a balanced budget and a line item veto. He bravely proposed reforming entitlements, cutting spending and even developed a "spendometer" that added up the cost of Democrat amendments to spending bills. This record made him one of the most conservative senators in Pennsylvania's history. He served eight years on the Senate Armed Services Committee where he led the fight before the attacks of September 11, 2001 to transform our military from a Cold War force to meet today's threats. He was a leader on US-Israeli relations, authoring both the "Syria Accountability Act" and the "Iran Freedom and Support Act" which he successfully fought to pass in spite of initial opposition by President Bush. An accomplished author, Senator Santorum penned the 2005 New York Times Best Seller It Takes a Family. He remained quiet for a few years, occasionally speaking on behalf of social Conservative leaders in instances such as the Iowa Supreme Court decision to allow gay marriage. Six years later, the former Senator announced that he would seek the 2012 GOP Nomination. He was one of the final four in the race. He dropped out for multiple reasons and later established the Conservative action group, Patriot Voices. Political Positions and Stances Abortion Rick Santorum's views on Abortion are the following: *Sponsored the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act *Sponsored the Born Alive Infants Protection Act *It is a criminal offense to injure or kill a fetus while committing a federal crime. *Pregnant woman should be provided free ultrasounds. *Parents should not be allowed to cross state lines to help their teen get an abortion. *Abortionists must inform the mothers that studies show unborn babies feel pain. *Medical professionals should not be forced to administer abortions. on Abortion American Culture and Values Rick Santorum's views on American Culture and Values are the following: *We are a land of freedom, prosperity, and equality. *America should never apologize for our values. *The family is at the core of the American experience. on Values Economics Rick Santorum's views on Economics are the following: *Commit to cut $5 trillion of federal spending within 5 years. *Implement Strong America Now reform through Lean Six Sigma management process as a key engine for cutting government waste and improving efficiency. *Immediately reduce federal (non-defense discretionary spending) to 2008 levels through across the board spending cuts. *Freeze defense spending levels for 5 years and reject automatic cuts. *Freeze spending levels for social programs for 5 years such as Medicaid, Housing, *Education, Job Training, and Food Stamps, time limit restrictions, and block grant to the States like in Welfare Reform. *Pass a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution capping government spending at 18% of GDP so that Congress and the President will need to balance the budget like Governors are required to do. *Pass legislation to reform the Congressional Budget Process and support legislation to require Congress to pass constitutionally required spending bills on time or not get paid the next fiscal year. *Implement reforms and cost savings of up to $100 billion in March 2011 GAO report requested by Senator Coburn listing 34 areas of duplication and waste. *Stop implementation of any remaining federal stimulus spending. *Freeze pay for non-defense related federal employees for four years, cut workforce by 10% with no compensatory increase in contract workforce, and phase out defined benefit plans for newer workers. *Eliminate all energy subsidies and most agriculture subsidies within four years. *Eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood and use half of the dollars to support adoption instead. *Cut EPA resources for job killing regulations and return focus to commonsense conservation and safe and clean air and water. *Cut in half the number of State Department USAID employees and US funding for United Nations programs. *Eliminate funding for implementation of Dodd/Frank regulatory burdens. *Eliminate funding for implementation of ObamaCare. *Cut funding for National Labor Relations Board for decision preventing airplane factory in South Carolina. *Eliminating funding for United Nations’ agencies which oppose America’s interests and promote abortion and cut the US contribution to the UN in half. *Phase out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac within five years. *Sell unproductive and wasteful federal properties. *Transition Team will review all spending cut proposals and restructuring reforms of the Heritage Foundation, CATO Institute, American Enterprise Institute, and the Simpson-Bowles Commission for additional savings on Economics Education Rick Santorum's views on Education are the following: *Parents have the fundamental right to direct the upbringing and education of their children with local school systems supporting, as desired. *The President can and should inspire toward educational excellence and personalization of learning. *Baby steps were taken in this direction in No Child Left Behind, but it should have been initiated at the local level where the consumers, taxpayers, and children are. *Reforms at the local level should be focused on expanding consumer choice in public, private, and personalized education, attracting the best teachers to be competitive as a nation, and rewarding excellence, innovation, and personalizing to the needs of individual students rather than governments or unions. on Education Energy and Oil Rick Santorum's views on Energy and Oil are the following: *Remove bans on drilling—both onshore and offshore. This would immediately increase supply, create jobs, and bring revenues to the federal and state governments. *Continue promoting private sector drilling techniques for natural gas. More than half of U.S. households use natural gas for heat, and a quarter of the nation's electricity is made from it. *Eliminate all energy subsidies and tax credits. This will prevent the federal government from picking winners and losers in our effort to unleash all of America’s domestic energy sources. *Immediately approve the construction of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline. *Construction of this pipeline would deliver an additional 700,000 to 830,000 barrels of oil per day to the U.S. and would create 20,000 jobs. *Repeal bureaucratic regulations such as EPA’s greenhouse gas regulations, Utility MACT, Boiler MACT, Cement MACT, the reclassification of coal ash, and any regulation of farm dust. *Restructure the priorities of the Department of Energy (DOE). The DOE spends an exorbitant amount of money on technologies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and alternative-energy vehicles. All of these energy sources and technologies are currently available, but they are not yet commercially viable because of burdensome regulations or because they are still prohibitively expensive. It is not the government’s role to force these technologies into the market place. on Energy Foreign Policy Rick Santourm's views on Foreign Policy are the following: *President Obama needs to stop apologizing for America's past behavior. *The United States must do everything it can to prevent Iran from receiving a nuclear weapon. *President Santorum would worth with the world's Muslims, but not cower before them. *The U.S. had the right to free the Iraqi and Afghani people from their oppressive governments. *The U.S. government needs to stand for the innocent that are abused by their governments, such as the Cuban or Chinese people. on Foreign Policy Global Warming and Environment Rick Santorum's views on the Environment are the following: *The EPA regulations are the some of the biggest burdens America faces today. *Federal regulators should not impose a one-size-fits all policy for environmental issues. *The United States does not need a centralized agency for environmental protection. on Environment Government Roles Rick Santorum's views on Government Roles are the following: *Federal regulations extend to every aspect of modern American life, so it’s certainly no surprise that they have a very high cost for American families. *Regulatory burdens are too much for American businesses to bear. *Obama regulations need to be repealed. *Enterprise isn’t free when it’s tangled in 82,000 pages of red tape every year. on Government Health Care Rick Santorum's views on Health Care are the following: *Repeal ObamaCare and its burdensome job-destroying bureaucracy, taxes, mandates, and heavy-handed government decision-making… and replace it with market-driven, patient-centered alternatives to increasing health care access and affordability. *Strengthen patient-driven health coverage options such as Health Savings Accounts coupled with high deductible insurance plans (and repeal ObamaCare policies that gut such options) *Reduce costs through competition, increased transparency, electronic records, and health care literacy – empowering patients and their doctors with information and options *Allow patients to purchase health insurance across state lines to gain access to the best insurance coverage to fit their individual needs – patients shouldn’t be required to pay for (and subsidize for others) coverage for services they don’t want or need *Allow those who purchase their own health care coverage to do so with pre-tax dollars, including a refundable tax-credit for the purchase of health coverage (so that employees are not tied to jobs solely for health coverage, but have portability of affordable coverage) *Enact meaningful medical liability reform – to increase access, and reduce added costs and inefficiencies from defensive medicine for federal programs and incentivize state liability reforms *Block-grant Medicaid so that states aren’t burdened by unfunded, crippling, one-size-fits-all federal mandates, so that states can implement solutions to address their unique health care needs.on Health Care Immigration Rick Santorum's views on Immigration are the following: *Secure the border first, and then tackle other aspects of immigration reforms to solve an urgent national security challenge and gain credibility with the American people first. *Streamline the legal immigration system to avoid unnecessary bureaucratic delays and burdens. *Expand the border fence fully where needed and enhance physical border security. *Add more law enforcement resources and border agents. *Increase the use of and access to cutting-edge technology; and enforcing immigration and labor laws including through employer verification including an E-Verify system that is simple, reliable, and protects businesses. *Oppose amnesty as unlawful, unfair to legal immigrants, and expensive to taxpayers. *Oppose other rewards for illegal immigrants at taxpayer expense such as in state tuition rates. *The efficacy and success of border security efforts should not be measured by outputs, but rather by outcomes. *Support and partner with state and local authorities to address illegal immigration rather than suing them and support them with the resources necessary to do the job. *Make English the official language of government, not to penalize but to promote opportunity and a common culture for new immigrants. *Deport immediately all illegal immigrants involved with criminal and drug trafficking activity unless a specific individual would create a security concern because they may be released in country of origin. *Coordinate all relevant policy areas and government agencies and functions relevant to securing the border and eliminate duplication. *Prioritize admittance of legal immigrants by what is good for our country rather than lottery system. *More apprehensions of illegal immigrants and criminals at the border; and increased seizure of contraband and illicit drugs. *Stop the federal government from requiring states to provide government services to illegal immigrants and oppose provision of government benefits not available to all citizens such as in-state tuition. *Promote legal immigration for highly educated and entrepreneurs from around the world. *Create a workable guestworker program for America’s farmers. *Acknowledge the historic and ongoing contribution of legal immigrants to our country as President of the United States. *Encourage States and local school systems to teach more American history. *Partner with States to address and prevent discrimination against recent immigrant communities. National Security Rick Santorum's views on National Security are the following: *Reinstate full funding authorized under the Iran Freedom and Support Act to assist pro-democracy groups within Iran *Bring greater attention to human rights violations of the Iranian regime against democracy protestors and minority religious groups *Would work with Israel to eliminate the Iranian nuclear threat immediately; and developing a potential plan for military action if needed *Would work with Israel to determine the proper military response needed to stabilize the region, protect our allies and protect this country – including the authorization of targeted airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. *Any nuclear scientist proven to be working for Iran’s nuclear program would be treated as an enemy combatant *Help create Strike Funds to help organizers on the ground publicly protest and overthrow the regime *Economically target Iran by sanctioning Iran’s central bank coupled with opening all forms of energy production in the U.S effectively devastating Iran’s only economy *Ensure Iranian officials cannot access any of their funds by freezing bank accounts and significantly limit their travel by revoking visas *Refuse to negotiate on any level with the terrorist state of Iran *Neutralize Iran’s relationships with their primary allies in The Middle East by increasing pressure on Hezbollah and Syria *Eliminate the post of U.S. Ambassador to Syria *Stand with Israel as an ally and in any efforts Israel may take to defend themselves from Iranian aggression *Would push for, fully fund and build a comprehensive missile defense system, and reevaluate the ramifications of the Start Treaty *Authorize more research on the Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Threat *Develop a National Prevention Plan to prevent a severe terrestrial and space emergencies that would take down our information systems or electrical grids. on National Security Same-Sex Marriage Rick Santorum's views on Same-Sex Marriage are the following: *Marriage is, and has always been through human history, a union of a man and woman. *We can’t redefine reality to accommodate politically fashionable wishes.on Same-Sex Marriage Second Amendment Rights Rick Santorum's views on Second Amendment Rights are the following: *The Second Amendment must be preserved. *Law-abiding firearms manufacturers should be protected from frivolous lawsuits. *Stricter enforcement of existing laws is an easier way to slow gun violence than banning firearms.on the Second Amendment Accomplishments *Received a BA, MBA, and JD *Chair of Senate Republican Conference *Won two Senate elections in a state where Democrats out number Republicans by one million. Quotes "Every society in the history of man has upheld the institution of marriage as a bond between a man and a woman. Why? Because society is based on one thing: that society is based on the future of the society. And that's what? Children. Monogamous relationships." "If the most liberal man that's ever been in office can get elected when 20 percent of the population identifies as liberal then I think we can elect a conservative when 40 percent of the population identifies themselves as conservative." "Watching President Obama apologize last week for America's arrogance - before a French audience that owes its freedom to the sacrifices of Americans - helped convince me that he has a deep-seated antipathy toward American values and traditions." "I'm always told that what I say is controversial. Why is it controversial? Because I speak from a tradition that has now fallen out of favor with the dominant media in this country. And so when I say things like marriage should be between one man and one woman, I'm called a bigot." Are you part of Rick's fight? If you support Rick Santorum's 2012 Presidential campaign, copy and paste ' 'on to your profile. It will appear as this: Gallery _20151006_062857.JPG _20151006_062844.JPG _20151006_062909.JPG _20151006_063938.JPG _20151006_064002.JPG _20151006_063949.JPG See also *Republican Party *2012 Republican Primary References External Links Category:A to Z Category:Politicians Category:Republicans Category:Tea Party Members Category:Former Senators Category:2012 Presidential Runners Category:Browse Category:Former Representatives Category:People Who Are Awesome Category:Christians